Nnedi Okorafor’s Shadow Speaker is set to release on September 26, 2023.
Many thanks to DAW for providing an early finished copy for review!
Nnedi Okorafor excels at creating imaginative and vivid near-future worlds, and the not-too-distant nuclear fallout presented in Shadow Speaker is no exception. Lush, vibrant, and teeming with life, Okorafor breathes magic into the Saharan desert, the backdrop of fifteen-year-old shadow speaker, Ejimafor (Ejii) Ugabe’s coming-of-age quest to find herself and unlock the potential of her metahuman abilities.
In a world still shaking from the aftereffects of nuclear war, a new beginning unfolds in a wave of green light. Change is coming, and Ejii, a fledgling shadow speaker, will be a part of it. She may not understand much of what the shadows around her have to say, but one thing is clear. War is imminent and will be inescapable if she does not join Jaa, a small, but strong-willed warrior queen, de facto leader of Ejii’s village of Kwámfá, otherwise known as the Red Queen of Niger.
Jaa brought peace and a sense of equality to Kwámfá by ending corruption at its root cause: Ejii’s father, a vile, conservative politician – one deeply rooted in fundamentalism and misogyny, not just toward women, but toward metahumans as well, including his first-born daughter, Ejii. While Ejii recognizes the necessity of Jaa’s violence, the public beheading of her father still haunts her five years later, as does her father’s raging conservatism. Ejii is often torn between silence and subservience, unsure of her role or place in society, even after she overhears a conversation between Jaa and her mother that has the potential to change her fate.
Jaa is planning to return to her home world of Ginen, and she wants Ejii to become her apprentice and accompany her for a pivotal meeting between the five realms. Jaa recognizes leadership potential in the fledgling shadow speaker, even if the reader does not, but her mother forbids the journey, fearing her only daughter’s life. Given her age and the fact she barely has a handle on her the shadowy companions that whisper incoherently around her, we can’t blame the woman.
“Ejii if you don’t learn how to lead, you will only be led.”
– excerpt from Nnedi Okorafor’s Shadow Speaker
That night, the shadows speak clearly for the first time. Whether it is the “drive” that all shadow speakers allegedly experience – an insatiable urge to explore the world – or not, one thing is clear: Ejii must join Jaa.
And so, Ejii’s journey to find her magic and her purpose begin – nearly 100 pages into the novel. It’s a slow start, to say the least, and while Okorfor introduces a number of interesting concepts and narrative formats (electronic journal entries, a school essay, etc.), the pacing does feel a bit bogged down. Magic, born from a bio-engineered, juju-infused peace bomb and manifesting in the form of mutations focused on nature and the elements was a brilliant idea, as are some of the smaller tech details unveiled along the journey: sentient storms, fueled by anguish and rage; lizards crackling with electricity and made of lightning; digital ghosts that haunt computer systems, many of which bring good luck and gifts of software; and, an entire city made of plant matter, the buildings rich with history and alive.
Despite the rich and vivid details, not to mention the fascinating elements of world-building that come into play as Ejii, and later, Dikéogu, a tormented boy with a terrible past and a strange affinity for lightning, discover, engage and come into their unique abilities, the plot itself felt a little overburdened and meandering, wherein nothing really happens. Because Ejii was reluctant to disobey her mother, Jaa leaves her behind. As a result, Ejii (and later Dikéogu) must chase after her, across the danger that is the desert, alone. When they do catch up with her, they are treated as adversaries, not allies, and despite talk of an “apprenticeship,” Ejii is forced to come into power on her own terms.
None of these things are inherently bad. Shadow Speaker is a coming-of-age story, after all; one with a strong message of empowerment and individuality, especially where women are concerned. What is a problem is that pacing itself is inconsistent. The novel starts out slow, but Okorafor makes up for it by including little nuggets of inventive world-building that blend Africanfuturism with Africanjujuism. Once the journey begins, things pick up rather quickly. A multitude of characters and otherworldly beings are introduced. While some of these continue to build tension and add mystery, including the series’ namesake – the desert magician!! – by the time the main conflict does arise, at the promised meeting of the Golden Dawn – the purpose of Ejii’s role is unclear.
While the reader is told that she is paramount to world peace, what unfolds is a little chaotic and unsatisfying. Ejii does have a role, but it isn’t necessarily what is expected of her,, and doesn’t really play too much into her power as a shadow speaker – an ability that has been growing alongside her into this fascinating thing of chaos and understanding and responsibility that has incredible potential and consequences (both for her and the world around her). To be clear, she does use her power, and it does help to prevent war, but it’s not necessarily world-breaking.
Okorafor tells the reader exactly what is going to happen, from the beginning. While there are some twists, the plot is tied up pretty easily and without much lasting conflict. Ejii’s role in the entire affair is relatively predictable, and isn’t some huge test of her abilities. She is tested, and her abilities do change drastically, but the payoff wasn’t entirely satisfying. All of this to say that Shadow Speaker is a little misleading in its premise, especially when paired against the synopsis. The Desert Magician makes a very brief appearance in the narrative, and in many ways, is an excellent stand-in for the author herself; the problem is that all signs point toward the series’ namesake (and Ejii) having a much larger role in the fate of the world, which is not necessarily the case. Ejii does experience character growth, and her abilities as a shadow speaker, in particular, were fascinating and formative, wherein Okorafor touches on a lot of great themes, including the idea that the world, and its people, are much deeper than they appear to be.
History is everywhere. It can affect everything. Even the smallest things can inspire change. Ejii is proof of that. I loved the ideology behind her character and ability. Shadow Speaker is an excellent coming-of-age story, but feels overburdened at times by the sheer scope of the plot and a large character roster. Though the plot does have a single focus – the impending interdimensional war on the horizon – things do spiral a bit out of control toward the end, when these locations (and their leaders) are introduced in a chaotic meeting. During this time, Okorafor does bring up a handful of important topics however, including the balance of power, not to mention the effect of technology and the role that humankind has on the world, especially in regard to climate issues, pollution, and violence.
“Humans are warlike, no matter where you come from.”
– excerpt from Nnedi Okorafor’s Shadow Speaker
Aside from great world-building, Okorafor excels in other areas as well. Tradition and history have strong moments throughout, and Okorafor weaves in threads of found family, religion, and tribal communities. That Jaa was in an open, polyamorous relationship was wonderful as well. Throughout the novel, Okorafor makes sure to place women in roles of power and subverts gender stereotypes, especially in connection to religion and patriarchal expectation. That being said, there were a handful of questionable moments that didn’t sit well with me, such as the big bad of the novel, who seems to be nothing more than a vile, fat man – wherein his weight is the most defining aspect of his character.
While I was personally a little unsatisfied with the novel’s quick (and somewhat easy) conclusion – and Ejii’s role in it – Okorafor’s early work is well worth the read if you’re looking for something with imaginative and inventive world-building that isn’t deeply rooted in hard science fiction. With a unique magic system that blends fantasy with science fiction, and lush, well-developed traditions and locations, Okorafor excels in creating something vivid and beautiful that is her own unique blend of Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism. While I would have loved to see storytelling that was a bit more varied (the few epistolary entries helped greatly in adding voice and generating interest!), Ejii and Dikéogu were fascinating characters that are worthy of your time (and a sequel).
“What I see is that even those with the best intentions can be corrupted by power.”
– excerpt from Nnedi Okorafor’s Shadow Speaker
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